Mississauga's second youth hub, planned for the Dixie-Bloor area, is now expected to cost $21.6 million, and the local councillor is asking Peel Region to put in more money to keep construction moving.

The Glenforest Youth Hub is being built on the grounds of Glenforest Secondary School at 3575 Fieldgate Dr., near Burnhamthorpe Road East, in space that once held the school's swimming pool. The pool was demolished in the summer of 2024 to make way for the 18,000-square-foot standalone centre.

The new price is about $9 million higher than the city's first hub, the Malton Youth Hub Jonathan Davis Centre, which cost $12.6 million and opened in late 2023. Project leaders say construction costs have climbed sharply between 2021 and 2026.

Funding request heads to Peel council

Ward 3 Coun. Chris Fonseca raised the issue at Mississauga council on Wednesday and has filed a motion for Thursday's Peel Region council meeting. The region set aside $6 million for the Glenforest hub in its 2025 budget, based on the same 50-50 split with the city used for the Malton hub. Fonseca is asking for another $4.8 million, which would bring Peel's share to $10.8 million, or half of the new budget.

Her motion points to higher material and labour costs and global tariffs, which it says have pushed capital needs for new community projects like this one up by 50 per cent.

Once the hub opens, the City of Mississauga will run it and pay its ongoing costs, including staff, maintenance, programs and upkeep, and will co-ordinate the social service agencies working on site.

What the hub will offer

  • Free meal programs, similar to those at the Malton hub

  • Dedicated space for agencies offering physical and mental health services, job and skills programs, counselling and family support

  • Community safety and violence prevention programs for young people

The city first asked residents for input on the Glenforest hub in February 2025, saying it wanted a space shaped by the young people who would use it. Mayor Carolyn Parrish, who championed the Malton centre as a councillor, said late last year she expects Glenforest to open in late 2026 or early 2027.